Cutting Room Floor
by peacelovebethx
Summary: Unfinished one-shots and story chapters of Troy and Gabriella. Also contains some random musings. Contains sneak peeks and spoilers of my other stories and ideas. Would greatly appreciate reviews!
1. Chapter 1

**I realized all of my stories have not been updated in at least six months. Then, I saw that this was because I was beginning chapters and one-shots without having the desire to finish and publish them. So, in order to remind myself to finish them, I'm putting unfinished chapters and one shots in here. I would really like reviews to know if the chapters are worth finishing. Several of the chapters may contain spoilers or hints about my other stories. Also, there will be some of my own random musings as I write in there, so if you don't care about that stuff just skip those chapters. I will label the chapters by story they belong two and title. Thanks and please give feedback!**

**Musical Love**

**The Cure- Jordin Sparks**

He was taller, almost 6foot 6inches. It was the first thing she noticed when she opened the door to her San Francisco 1 bedroom walk-up. And beautiful as hell. All his lanky, boyish features had turned into those of a man. She hadn't seen him in 3 years. But, it didn't matter. Because he was on her doorstep with those desperate eyes.  
>"Hey, Brie." he said, sadly.<br>"Come on in." she responded, stepping aside to let him in. He almost had to duck entering through the front door.  
>She shut the door behind him and took a deep breath. When she turned to face him, he was studying a picture of her with her best friend, Leann, in the park. She was struck again at how much he'd changed. Not just his physical size, but the edge it gave him. She could tell that he had no problem commanding a room, like he had in high school. He had always been charming, liked by everyone in their graduating class. But he preferred to fly under the radar, hang with people like her, average, unremarkable. Now, however, she could see it: he was a leader, someone others looked up to.<br>Then again, it shouldn't surprise her. He was a leader after all, a sort of public figure. It was the cause of all those muscles. Looking back, this was the only thing he'd never minded excelling at: basketball.

They stood their for a while; him studying the pictures lining the wall, her trying to process her thoughts into an appropriate greeting.

"You look different." she said, quietly, almost to herself.  
>Hearing, he turned to her and a half-hearted grin spread across his face, "You noticed, huh? Never thought you'd have to look up at me." he said jokingly.<br>"No, I certainly didn't." she mused, realizing that he had almost 10 inches on her slim 5 foot 8 inches. Again, silence settled momentarily over the pair as they thought back to the years they spent as best friends.

"So I guess you really did it, huh? Became a photographer. If my art buyer isn't suggesting I buy one of your recreational shots, then I'm hearing about you from every smuck I meet at dinner parties. Gabriella Montez, up and coming artist."  
>She blushes and, seeing this he continues in a snotty upper east side accent, "she's just a-mazing. Virtually unknown until last year when she released these great pieces about New York."<br>"I didn't realize you'd been keeping tabs on me."  
>"Well, I can't believe you came to New York and didn't visit, huh?"<br>She dodges the question, "Well, you haven't exactly been staying anonymous lately. What with basketball and... all." she wanted to say the fiancé but she didn't, they both knew what she meant. His faced dropped it's playful expression before clearing his throat and saying, "I missed you, Brie."  
>"I missed you two, wildcat." And just like that his arms are around me, his head nestled in my hair, my head laying on his muscular chest.<br>His voice is strained when he says, "She dumped me, Brie."  
>"I know," I say, squeezing him tighter.<br>"Please, just make it all go away."  
>"I will, Troy, I promise."<br>ZZZ  
>For the next few days, I mostly keep Troy stashed away in my tiny apartment, sleeping on my sleeper sofa-although most nights I end up there too. We order delivery Chinese food, pizza, ice cream and watch pay-per-view. Drinking cheap wine or whiskey, he pours his heart out about the latest break-up. A supermodel, Eva Lopez. The way he'd proposed to her, the way she'd just told him she been cheating on him during their 2 year anniversary. That was the problem with being in love with Troy for so long, you could never really hate him. He was sweet to the bone, always getting his heart broken never breaking any. Surely, he didn't mean to be completely oblivious to my feelings, he just wasn't good with women. Imagine that, an uber-attractive NBA star who got completely tongue-tied when a beautiful women entered the room. Completely unaware of the effect he had on women, on people in general. Really, he hadn't changed since high school. People still adored him, for his looks, good guy charm and self-deprecating humor. It was a Thursday night, late, when he pulled me close, "When did we stop being friends?"<br>"What do you mean? Of course we're friends."  
>"C'mon, we haven't spoken in three years. You didn't even come see me when you were in New York."<br>"I was busy. Working."  
>"For three months?"<br>She sighed, "I wanted to see you, I did. But it felt like I was crossing some line, like I couldn't know you."  
>"Know me? You were my best friend!"<br>Made bold by the liquor and his proximity, she decided to tell the truth, "I didn't feel good enough, okay? The broke, unknown photographer visiting her millionaire athlete best friend. I chose to stay in San Fran while you went off to New York City. I didn't want you to see how big of a mistake I'd made, what a failure I was."  
>There was silence for a brief time before I feel his warm breath tickling my ear, "No, Brie. Not a failure. Never a failure. Just brave. And beautiful. And perfect. Totally perfect."<br>I feel the heat creep up my neck before mumbling something about not being perfect.  
>"well, maybe not completely perfect. But, you have managed to keep the paparazzi from finding out that I'm here and you've listened to my bitching for days even though it's not your problem and you made a name for yourself even though everyone- including me- told you it was a silly dream. That sounds pretty amazing to me."<br>"it's not really." there was so much about the lonely 2 years after he left that she wanted to tell him about, prove that she was less than perfect. But, all of those painful memories were stored away inside of her somewhere, never too be accessed lest they destroy everything she'd worked towards. So, she told as much of the truth as she could without telling it all. Nothing. "As for the paparazzi, I may have told a little white lie to a friend over at People. Just may have dropped a helpful hint that you had been spotted in my gallery in Los Angeles buying pieces for your new bachelor pad. She'll have everyone running down that lead for a little while longer before it dead ends."  
>"And then what?"<br>"I'll call in a favor. Pull strings. Buy time until you decide you don't need it."  
>"And what if I don't?"<br>"Don't what?"  
>"Decide that I'm ready to go back. What if I don't want to leave you again, Brie?"<br>The question is more complicated then I was prepared for. Just the memory of him going off to New York without me so long ago makes me feel sick. I have no idea how I will ever be able to say goodbye to him a second time if I let him in again. And, considering I'm practically in his lap and ready to spill my guts, I'd say I'm basically there, "let's just not think about it now, okay?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Two Lives, One Shadow**

**Title: Trouble in not-so-Paradise**

"Hey. It's Henry right?" Gabriella attempted casually as she recognized the boy leaning against the courtyard wall with no one to talk to.  
>"Yea," he smiled genuinely, "Homeroom, right?"<br>"And Lit."  
>"Right."<br>Maybe it was the relief of finally talking to someone who hadn't heard-who didn't believe- the rumors about her, but she wanted to talk to him, "How was your first day and all that?"  
>"Shitty, someone stole my backpack and my phone." He said, with an unconvincing laugh at his own expense.<p>

"Yea, welcome to East High hell. At least you didn't get beat up." She punched his arm cheekily, trying to cheer him up, when he obviously wanted to be anywhere else but in Albuquerque.  
>"Yea, I guess." A brief silence settled over them before Henry said hesitantly, "Do you think you could show me a round town sometime, fill me in on the scene here?"<br>"Sure. Anytime." she smiled slightly flirty at him and began to walk with him to her car. After all, all the guys avoided her like the plague and Troy was always so stoic and confusing. She desperately needed some harmless male attention.

Little did she know, Troy had walked into the courtyard and did not like what he saw. Not at all. He strode across the courtyard aggressively and quickly closed the distance between the two students, deep in conversation.  
>"Gabriella! Wait up." he called loudly as he neared them. She had barely glanced over her shoulder to register his wave before he slammed into the shoulder of the new kid. Unsuspecting, the black haired kid lurched forward before regaining his balance, "Oh sorry, man." Troy said insincerely.<br>He hoped this kid would dare to protest. And he did. "What's your problem, man?"  
>"My problem," Troy began icily," Is that the stupid newbie can't watch where he's going."<br>"Where I'm going? What an asshole." he whispered the last part just loud enough to make sure Troy heard him.  
>Troy grabbed his shoulder roughly, drew his fist back and hit him squarely in the jaw. The blow sent the boy stumbling across the sidewalk.<br>"Troy!" Gabriella exclaimed more angry than surprised.  
>He ignored her, "Next time, watch who the fuck you call an asshole, new kid." Then, he turned, walking away, ignoring all the confused students watching him. But, Gabriella hesitated. Walking the few steps where Henry struggled to compose himself, she crouched down beside him, "You okay?"<br>"Yea," he said, groaning in embarrassment, "You spoke too soon. I think that I just got beat up."  
>She laughed quietly, "Put some frozen carrots on your face. They work better than ice. And-"<br>She was interrupted by a low growl behind her, "Gabriella." she turned slightly and saw Troy staring at her intensely, clenching and unclenching his right fist in discomfort.  
>"I'm coming." she said calmly and Troy stormed away angrily<br>"Is that guy your boyfriend?" Henry said in a hushed tone.  
>"Something like that," she stood, helping Henry to his feet, "I got to go. See you later, Henry." she turned to leave but turned back, "Oh, and if you show that face to the nurse, she'll get out of a week of gym."<br>With that, she strode over to Troy and walked to his car with her arm over her shoulder.

**3 Weeks Later**

Again, she was with that stupid Henry Groff kid. They were like _friends_ now. Even the rumors weren't enough to run him off. And, now, he had the nerve to hit on her just yards from the make out spot. He'd show that punk. He walked over there, hood up in typical fashion, not sure of his next move. He slid in next to Gabriella, wrapping his arm around her tiny body so his thumb rested on her hip.  
>Not even bothering to pause their flirting, Gabriella looked over slightly confused at him. Troy rarely showed affection towards her in public except his classic arm around shoulder. Meeting her gaze, he knew exactly what to do and he places his free hand softly on her cheek, and pulled her in for a long, deep kiss. She responded positively- as she always did- wrapping her arms around his neck before he pulled back, removing his hand from her soft face and intertwining their fingers instead.<p>

He glanced over at Groff, who was looking away from them a mix of embarrassment and maybe anger on his face, "Sorry, Hennie-boy, but I'm going to need to burrow this fine lady for the near future. Hope you don't mind." Without bothering to check what his reaction was, he pulled Gabriella away from him and towards the make-out spot. He felt a wave of triumph surge through him as she said a breathless 'see you later' to Henry without bothering to look over her shoulder. She was his-not someone else's- to do with what he liked and no new punk was going to change that.

If he only knew...


	3. Chapter 3

**Two Lives, One Shadow**

**Title: Your Ice Cold Heart is Breaking**

"No. Don't do this to me, baby." she pleaded with her hand-me-down car as it wheezed to a stop after skidding on a patch of ice and hitting a 'Curve Ahead' sign with a thunk. She tried the ignition again. No luck, "Shit. Are you kidding?" she asked in disbelief as she realized that not even the heat or radio turned on. She instantly began to shiver as the -3 degree outside air seeped inside the car. Pulling out her phone after several minutes of desperate attempts to make her car spring to life, she dialed the familiar number with shaking fingers. There was two rings before, "Yea?"  
>"Troy, my car broke down."<br>"Where?"  
>"Umm, about a half mile past Lincoln and Bailington."<br>"Ok. I'll be there but it's gonna take me 15 minutes."  
>"Ok, thanks."<br>By the time she had got off the phone with the two company, Troy pulled up in his rickety old truck. Never in her life did she think she'd be so happy to see that piece of junk. He pulled it up in behind her and she hopped out of her car and jogged over to passenger door of his truck as fast as her numb legs would take her. Opening up the door, she said, "I'm supposed to wait for the tow guy to come."

"Screw it, you'll freeze before he ever shows up. Come on." She couldn't argue with him there and she situated herself in the familiar cab of his truck as he pulled out and sped off, leaving her poor car behind.

"God, it never snows in Albuquerque. Why is it so cold in here?" she asked, trying the heat.

"Heat's broken." he said simply.

"Since when?"

"Since forever, I just never have to use it."

She began to shiver again as her breath came out in icy puffs of steam. "You're lips are turning purple." he let out a slight chuckle and he looked over at her, "I think their might be a coat under the seat." Leaning down, her fingers grasped at a coarse material under the seat. Pulling it over her lap, she saw it was a worn, blue flannel jacket with a grey hood that she had never seen him wear.

"Thanks." she mumbled through chattering teeth as she slipped her arms through the think coat. As a minimal amount of warm returned to her body, a question formed in her mind, "Where were you?" she asked quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"It only takes 5 minutes to get from you apartment to where I was. And, I know there wasn't basketball practice today and no wild party until tonight. So where were you then?"

"No where." he snapped quickly before covering up with a forced lightness, "It's not like I sit around at the apartment waiting for one of your distress calls." She rolled her eyes but it was clear from his white chuckles as he gripped the steer wheel with all his force, that she had struck a nerve. It was things like that that she had begun to notice after being around Troy so much. He didn't always like to say much, but that didn't mean he didn't give his emotions away.

**5 minutes later at the Apartment**

As soon as the door closed behind the pair, the rush of warm air hit Gabriella like a wall and she felt her knees buckle a little.  
>"Good thing I paid the heat bill, huh?" Holding her up with one arm.<br>"Yea."  
>Troy grabbed a blanket off the back of the couch and helped her sit down wrapping the blanket around them both, "You're warm." she said, settling into his chest and his arms tightened around her.<br>He chuckled, "I thought I was going to have to drive you to the hospital for hypothermia for a minute." He was still tense from her question earlier but was doing a remarkably good job at covering with his words.  
>She rubbed her arms softly in an attempt to warm her and she noticed that his hands were trembling.<br>"Troy, you're shaking."  
>"Sorry." he said quickly, trying to move his hands away before she could question him further.<br>"Are you alright?" she asked, grabbing his hands in a worried fashion despite his attempts.  
>"I'm fine." he said, guardedly.<br>But, the tremor in his hands, which did not subside completely even though she was gripping them tightly, told a different story.


	4. Chapter 4

**Home**

**Randomness (skip if you only want T&G)**

_You've seen this country_

_From East to West_

_Just like you've seen me_

_At my worst and best._

_Waking up to a new day_

_But it's still empty and cold_

_Thought maybe I'd find you_

_Guess this love got real old_

_Maybe I didn't expect you to stay_

_You're not that type of guy_

_But I might have hoped __you'd wait longer_

_Before you said all your goodbyes_


	5. Chapter 5

**Musical Love**

**He Is We-Pour Me Out**

**Wake up in the morning, it's not so bad.  
>I can taste you on my lips, and it makes me sad.<br>there's a part of me that just wants you back,  
>You're the one thing I want, that I never did have.<br>That I never did have.  
>Oh, no.<strong>

The soft light filtered in through the open window and floated across the closed eyelids of a beautiful dark-haired girl. Reluctantly, her eyes opened, revealing two sleepy brown orbs. Recently, these eyes had been filled with reckless tears, but for now they were dry. The sound of children playing drifted from the open window, and the girl wished in vain that she could be one of those children, laughing and joking at trivial things. For several days earlier that week, hiding in her closet and shutting out the world was all that appealed. But, now she had to face the day.

She glanced around, wondering how long she had slept. Not long, nights seemed to suffocate her- they were too quiet, too much time to think. Shielding her eyes from the hot rays of the sun, she decided she was probably an hour or so past being due into work. Not that her boss cared. Joanne- a plump, opinionated women- had adored Gabriella since the day she had started working at the photo studio. Gabriella could coax a crying two year old into a pumpkin costume and convince any teenage boy that matching sweaters was most definitely_ not _too embarrassing to put on the front of family Christmas card. And, so, she really had the freedom to show up whenever she pleased, but she almost always showed up on time. Joanne would certainly be at least a bit concerned by now. Of course, Joanne already knew something was up, because Troy hadn't shown up at the shop at all this week- but Gabriella was not ready to share the gritty details, not even with Joanne who was more of a motherly friend than a boss.

I can do this, she repeated in her head as she got up and went to the bathroom to turn on the shower. After all, it had been almost a week. And, she had functioned rather well before Troy entered her life. But even after she had stepped under the stream of icy water beneath the shower, she couldn't help replaying his words over and over.

_"I don't think this was a good idea." He ran his hand through his hair, a crease forming between his brows._

_ "What? Taking your truck? I'm sure it won't die, you just got it fixed-"_

_ "No, not that. I don't think this," he gestures to the space between their bodies- much too far apart in his car, "was a good idea. Us being… what we are."_

_ The implication of his words hits hers like a blow to the stomach, "What?"_

_ Nothing could have hurt her more than these words coming from him._

There had been words said after his first harsh confession, but she couldn't tell you what they were. They didn't matter much, it was already over. Still, his last words were permanently burned in her mind...

_ He forced a reassuring smile as his hair fell across his eyes. She wanted to reach up and fix it, but she was frozen to the spot as he whispered, "In a few weeks, you'll be gone. It'll be like this summer never happened." Then, a kiss lightly pressed against her lips, tasting of fallen tears. And, then, he was gone. _

She sighed and turned off the frigid water. She didn't want it to be like it had never happened; she wanted to remember the time they had been together more than anything...

Convincing people was what she was really good at. Yet, she had been utterly unable to convince her best friend that loving her had been worth it.

**Fill me up,  
>Steam me up.<br>Hear me shout,  
>Tip me over and pour me out.<br>Pour me out on the concrete, next to your feet.  
>Do I have to cry out?<br>Can you hear me?  
>Oh just to be with you.<strong>

It was too late to turn around and get back in the car when she saw his truck in the aisle across from her in the parking lot. It was too late, because Troy was already walking towards his truck, grocery bags in both hands. She saw him, just a moment before he saw her. Or, she assumed he had seen her—she couldn't be completely sure at first because of the aviator sunglasses covering his eyes. But, he froze in much the same manner she had, and they stood looking at each other from across the parking lot for a half-minute before Troy hesitantly walked in her direction. Fidgeting with her keys, she attempted to hide her discomfort.

"Hey," he said, in a unreadable tone.

"Hey." she said, wanting more than anything to run away from this situation as fast as she could. They were best friends. Best friends weren't supposed to have awkward post-break up conversations.

"How are you?" he asked her softly, but she was unable to tell if he was being sincere, because she couldn't see his eyes. Troy's lovely blue eyes could almost always told you what he was feeling, if only you knew how to interpret what they were trying to say. But, now, his beautiful orbs were obstructed by the damn pair of sunglasses that made him look so hot. She had no clue what he was thinking and that left her feeling terribly exposed, almost naked in front of him.

"Better." she said, trying not to give away how his absence made her ache, made her want to scream out for him just so he might see what he did to her.

There was an uncomfortable silence between them, and she sense that he was studying her, judging whether the words actually matched the way she looked. If anything, this made her feel even more exposed, so much so she wanted to rip the shades off his face just to make him lose the control he had.

She finally had the good sense to end the quiet and ask, "How about you?" _Are you fucking happy now that you're free of me-probably forever? Now that you broke my heart?_

Half expecting him to say how glad he was that he was done with her. His real response of, "I'm hanging in there" surprised her. This was what he wanted, shouldn't he being living it up and throwing it in her face? Her mind thought back to the Troy she knew-the one that would never try to hurt her on purpose- but she pushed that person from her mind. That wasn't Troy anymore, because he knew what he said last week was going to rip her apart, and he said it anyway. He didn't care about her- not anymore.


	6. Chapter 6

**A Married Affair**

**Title: What you do to me**

"Everything you do makes me want to screw my life up."

He was smiling, that was the worst part. It wasn't that he would glance at me under his incredibly long lashes when no one was looking. It wasn't that his hand slipped to my knee under the dark table. It was that damn smile. I'd always thought that his smile was his most attractive trait. And that was saying a lot considering I've seen him with absolutely no clothes on. Everyone knows someone like Troy. Their smile is dazzling. Well, I guarantee your person has nothing on mine. His smile makes my stomach lurch and my breath hitch. More than anything, that's why we are where we are; me and him.  
>"I have to use the ladies room, excuse me."<p>

I practically jump up from the table and make my way towards the back of the restaurant where the restrooms are located. When I'm finally out of view of the table, I relax. I'm sure my desire for my best friend showed all over my face. That's what worries me the most about the whole mess: that I'm always so close to giving al my emotions away. Lets' just say I'm awful at poker but that's a story for another time. Entering, the hallway where the restrooms are located, I instead turn to a door with an 'Authorized Personnel Only' sign and open it quickly, slipping inside before anyone notices. I let my back rest on the back of the door and steady my breathing for a moment. This room, dimly lighted by one antique lamp in the corner, is the reason we always come to this restaurant. It's supposed to be a storage room for the batty old French woman who owns the place, but no one ever comes in here or bothers to lock it. On the rare or not-so-rare chance that we simply cannot get through dinner without each other, we make our excuses and slip away to meet here.

Pacing the floor with the rhythmic click of my heels, I try to convince myself for the millionth time how wrong this is, how many people could get hurt. But, I know how this argument with myself will end and the good part of me never wins

There is a barely audible knock on the door and I turn just in time to see him close the door and turn to me with that damn lopsided smile.

It's me and him, everyone else be damned.


	7. Chapter 7

**Remembering Sunday**

**Title: The Fall-Out**

They were at a serious impasse. Finally, the moment had come when there was no more pretending. Either they were friends or they weren't. Either Troy was savable or he was doomed. It all came down to this moment. Those bloodshot eyes were all Chad could see, he hadn't stopped drinking.

"I don't have to explain myself to you." Troy- or the drunk monstrous version of him- slurred, pointing an accusatory finger in the dark-skinned man's chest.

"There was a time when I would have agreed with you. I used to think we were more than best friends, hell I really fooled myself into believing we were brothers. That there was nothing you could do that I wouldn't accept. No fuck- up that I couldn't forgive."

"Well I guess things have changed, huh, Chad?"  
>"No, <em>you<em> changed. I don't even recognize you anymore, man. It's like I don't even know you at all."  
>"Damn, isn't that so fucking rich! Chady-boy playing a righteous little bitch. Judging me like I'm someone who doesn't know all of the awful shit he's ever done."<br>"C'mon man, don't be like that."  
>"I'm not being like anything."<br>"Do you even care that you're fucking up the longest friendship either of us ever had? Not to mention fucking up your relationships with pretty much everyone else in your life just to relive what ended a long time ago."

"It didn't end!"

"She ended it, man. She left you!"

Chad saw those eyes glaze over for a second before Troy disappeared again, buried somewhere deep beneath the angry façade, "You ended it! Hell, they all ended it. All of you lied to me. So no, I don't give a fuck that things aren't working out with my back- stabbing supposed best friend. But I guess that makes me the monster in your little game again, doesn't it Danforth?"

And, with a look of betrayal that rivaled no other, Troy found his jacket and his whiskey and walked out.


	8. Chapter 8

**Random One-Shot**

**Title: If I Had You Back**

The tears stung her eyes as Gabriella tried not to let them fall. It was almost funny how it could sneak up on her, that she had lost him. There was no consolation in it that she or even he had chosen to end the relationship they once had. No, she had screwed things up. Taken him for granted, gotten lazy. And he had gotten sick of putting himself on the line with no reward. She started forgetting promises, blowing off dates, making everything else a higher priority. So he'd walked away. She'd hurt him, he deserved better.

And cliché as it is, she didn't miss him until he was gone. Gabriella soon realized how vital a part he had played in her life. Even though it had been a year- a busy year at that- it still came back to her. Some days, some weeks, some months even, she nearly forgot. Life went on and hers was occupied by so many new people and new things that there hardly seemed like a void existed at all.

But then she'd be reminded by a photo she never took down, by a text or Internet chat she forgot to delete, by a song they'd once loved, even by the smell of his cologne on a stranger she passed in the street. No matter what it was, she couldn't keep the memories from flooding in when they surfaced. And with the memories came a bitter, regretful sorrow at her loss. She'd lost her dearest friend, and she couldn't repair the damage. She'd hurt her first love and it was a passion she could not reclaim. There was no one to blame but herself. It was her oversight, her neglect that had broken them.

This time it was a note, shoved in the back of a drawer and long ago forgotten. That was until she'd rediscovered it cleaning out her desk. Thus note was reminiscent of junior high, although they'd been 17 when they'd wrote it. First scribbled down hastily by Troy during a boring history lesson and exchanged with responses many times between them in the halls, this simple piece of paper made her heart feel like a lead weight inside her chest. The words, cheerful, joking banter between them, made Gabby aware once again of how important he once was to her. Just the way they talked- or rather wrote- made it clear they knew each other better than they knew themselves. The love and trust and happiness leaked off of the page. Instead of making Gabriella smile it made her throat constrict. This note was archaic, a thing of the distant past.

Troy was like a ghost to her now, seeming more of an imagined companion than a real person. She wouldn't recognize Troy any more than she would a stranger. She had no idea what separation had done to him, whether orange was still his favorite color or whether his truck now ran in the winter. After their less than friendly break up, she'd transferred schools. Starting over was simply easier than facing him- facing what she'd done- everyday. She still lived in the same house, in the same town but she had new friends, new interests, new image. East High seemed non-existent. Chad, Taylor, Sharpay were all gone from her life. Seeing her old friends was just too hard, they'd accidentally mention Troy or if they didn't she would know it was deliberate. Taylor especially had kept trying to call her after the transfer but she too gave up when she realized there would be no response. Losing her friends was difficult at first, but nothing compared to losing Troy. It was just something she accepted when it happened. More consequences of her monumental mistake.

So she had filled her life with new friends, people so much different from her old gang. People Troy would have called 'bad news'. They smoked, they drank, they got around. Gabriella never quite got into their wild habits as much, but she appreciated their no bullshit, no fear attitude. It had rubbed off on her a little. She was outspoken and bold where she used to be quiet and shy. And Gabriella had developed a reputation for her no feelings philosophy on relationships. Slutty wasn't the right word to deceive it exactly. That implied classless, conspicuous. And Gabriella was nothing if not discreet when it came to boys, even when the boys weren't. Still, she wasn't virginal like she once had been.

Everything had changed. In only 3 weeks, Gabriella would be going away to college. This only made her regret deeper. But she couldn't fix things now. Not with the future coming so fast. She had separated them, both emotionally and physically. To try futilely to reunite them and patch together what they used to have wasn't fair to her and it certainly wasn't fair to him either. Although, to assume he would even want to fix things was admittedly pretty egotistical of her. If she was Troy, she would never want to see her again, not after she ruined everything and made a mess of his heart.


	9. Chapter 9

**One Step at a Time**

**Run, Baby, Run**

"_At first, I found it endearing that you were always running. You'd run to the grocery store to get me my favorite chocolates when we were in love. You'd run to burn off steam after we fought when we weren't so in love. You'd run and I always knew you'd be back in my arms after ten miles or so. But, then I realized, you were running away from your problems. And I could never catch you."-G..M._

Troy POV

I run. It's what I do.

At first, it was just something I did to build stamina for basketball and stay in shape when the season ended. But then, it became ritual. It was something I could do when I needed to clear my head. Even basketball takes focus but with running, I can just go. Run and run without thinking of anything at all. It's almost therapeutic, the sound of your own footfalls on the pavement. And, the pain. The pain's good. The pain means that I only have five miles or ten miles or fifteen miles to go. And, you keep pushing. There's no plays to think about, no one depending on you, no one watching to see if you succeed.

I still loved basketball. It was physical and challenging in the way that running isn't. But every time I made MVP or nail a new drill, there's this voice in my head that says that I'm good because he was. I could go professional, because basketball is my blood. And then I hate it. Because if basketball's in my blood, what else is? He's my father but I want no part of him.

My dad used to be the varsity basketball coach up until two years ago when several players accused him of forcing them to play injured or skip class to practice. All this was true of course and more, and he pushed none of the players as much as me. Even before my mom left he was like that, ruthless when it came to getting the results he wanted.

After he was fired, I kept playing because I knew he'd kill me if I didn't, and because I knew that I might actually enjoy playing again if I did.

I was half-right.

But, by the time I figured out that much out, I was already running like hell in the other direction.


End file.
